Chapter 14 of Northern Lights is here in full — 395 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of Northern Lights is here in full — 395 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street. He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre. He tossed his cheroot away. Suddenly he heard a low voice behind him. "Why don't you hit out, sergeant?" it said.
Chapter 14 of Northern Lights is here in full — 395 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
lifting device consisting of a platform or cage that is raised and lowered mechanically in a vertical shaft in order to move people from one floor to another in a building
From this reading “Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.”
-ing form of “near” — move towards
From this reading “Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.”
full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
From this reading “He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre.”
a treeless grassy plain
From this reading “Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.”
ribald humor
From this reading “He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre.”
any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal
From this reading “"Why don't you hit out, sergeant?" it said.”
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading “He tossed his cheroot away.”
plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)
From this reading “Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “Suddenly he heard a low voice behind him.”
depart and not take along
In this reading “He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre.”
In this reading “Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Suddenly he heard a low voice behind him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He tossed his cheroot away.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre.
a low-lying region in central France
From this reading He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre.
a cigar with both ends cut flat
From this reading He tossed his cheroot away.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why don't you hit out, sergeant?" it said.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
remove the dust from
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
lifting device consisting of a platform or cage that is raised and lowered mechanically in a vertical shaft in order to move people from one floor to another in a building
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Suddenly he heard a low voice behind him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He tossed his cheroot away.
cause to move by striking
From this reading "Why don't you hit out, sergeant?" it said.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Why don't you hit out, sergeant?" it said.
go away from a place
From this reading He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Suddenly he heard a low voice behind him.
-ing form of “near” — move towards
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
From this reading He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Why don't you hit out, sergeant?" it said.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
a treeless grassy plain
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
ribald humor
From this reading He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre.
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Why don't you hit out, sergeant?" it said.
any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal
From this reading "Why don't you hit out, sergeant?" it said.
in the near future
From this reading He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre.
any distinct time period in a sequence of events
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Suddenly he heard a low voice behind him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre.
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading He tossed his cheroot away.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Suddenly he heard a low voice behind him.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Nettlewood Foyle watched the dust rising from the wheels of the stage, which had passed the elevator and was nearing the Prairie Home Hotel, far down the street.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why don't you hit out, sergeant?" it said.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He would soon leave behind him this noisy ribaldry of which he was the centre.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Why don't you hit out, sergeant?" it said.
Chapter 14 of Northern Lights by Gilbert Parker holds 395 sentences, grouped into 79 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 14 holds 395 sentences of Northern Lights, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of Northern Lights by Gilbert Parker exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 395 sentences, grouped into 79 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Northern Lights by Gilbert Parker on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6434 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26905 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26905, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 536 minutes of reading across 1287 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Northern Lights section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of Northern Lights to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Northern Lights, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
